domestic violence in the military

“On average each fiscal year from 1990 to 1996, 23.2 per 1000 spouses of military personnel experienced a violent victimization. “–FY90-96 Spouse and Child Maltreatment, Department of Defense

“On average each fiscal year from 1990 to 1996, 17.4 per 1000 reports of violent victimizations were substantiated by the Department of Defense.”–FY90-96 Spouse and Child Maltreatment, Department of Defense

“The rate of violent victimization of spouses in the U.S. military has steadily increased from 18.6 to 25.6 per 1000 during the same time period.” –FY90-96 Spouse and Child Maltreatment, Department of Defense

“The predominant type of substantiated spouse abuse is physical abuse. Eighty-five percent of the abuse perpetrated by offenders is physical abuse.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996

“A total of 61,903 substantiated offenders, either active duty personnel or civilians married to active duty personnel, have been identified for FY91-95.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996

“The offender rates are unreliable because each offender is only counted once, rather than counting the total number of incidents of abuse. The counts also do not include any subsequent offenses by the same offender.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996; and Abuse Victims Study, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel, 1994

“The Army consistently shows the highest rate followed by the Marines,
Navy and Air Force.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996; and Abuse Victims Study, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel, 1994

“The demographic characteristics of offenders indicates that substantiated spouse abuse is predominantly perpetrated by male (76%), active duty personnel (81%) of rank E6 or lower who are, on average slightly less than 27 years of age.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996; and Abuse Victims Study, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel, 1994

“The spouse abuse victims have children (78%) and more than half have been married for two years or less.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996; and Abuse Victims Study, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel, 1994

“The demographic characteristics of victims indicates that the victim is predominantly female, civilian spouse of active duty personnel who are, on average, slightly less than 25 years old.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse, Caliber Associates, 1996; Abuse Victims Study, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel, 1994

“Fifty-two percent of the victims live off the installation and forty-seven percent reside on the installation.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996

“One in four female service members under age 50 has been physically abused.”–Women Veterans’ Experiences with Domestic Violence and with Sexual Harassment, Drs. Murdoch and Nichol, 1993

“Thirty-one percent of female military personnel who suffer domestic violence have been forced to have nonconsensual sex.”–Women Veterans’ Experiences with Domestic Violence and with Sexual Harassment, Drs. Murdoch and Nichol, 1993

“Thirty-three percent of the substantiated offenders are involved in mutual abuse.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996

“Recidivism and reoffense data from the Department of Defense is unreliable.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996; Abuse Victims Study, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel, 1994

“Offenders are somewhat less likely to be promoted and somewhat more likely to be separated from the Service. The fear of negative consequences is probably out of proportion to the true impact. Commander discretion plays a major role in determining the extent of impact, as well as the service member’s performance and amenability to treatment.”–Abuse Victims Study, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel, 1994

“Forty-three percent of the active duty offenders are separated from the service within three years of the initial substantiated offense.”–Final Report on the Study of Spousal Abuse in the Armed Forces, Caliber Associates, 1996

~The severity of non mutual abuse increased from about 8% in 1999 to 13% in 2002 in the US Army. Female victims accounted for 78.5% of the severe non mutual abuse cases and 58% of the severe mutual abuse cases.-Patterns of mutual and non mutual spouse abuse in the US Army (1998-2002), Violence and Victims, 2004.

~It is apparent that relatively few military personnel are prosecuted or administratively sanctioned on charges stemming from domestic violence.-Initial Report, Department of Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence, 2001.

~Commander discretion plays a major role in determining the extent of impact, as well as service member’s performance and amenability to treatment. -A Considerable Service, Domestic Violence Report, 2001.

~Less than seven percent of spouse abuse cases are adjudicated by court-marital.-Symposium on DV Prevention Research, Department of Defense, 2002.

~Rates of marital aggression are considerably higher than civilian rates, double, three to five times.-The War At Home, 60 Minutes, January 17, 1999; Heyman and Neidig. (1999). A comparison of spousal aggression prevalence rates in U.S. Army and civilian representative samples. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67 (2), 239-242; Rosen, Brennan, Martin, and Knudson. (August 2002). Intimate Partner Violence and US Army Soldiers in Alaska, Military Medicine; The War At Home, 60 Minutes, September 1, 2002.

~Firearms were used against 35% percent of female victims. Twenty-eight percent of female victims were beaten or strangled. Females were over 10 times more likely than males to be strangled.-Homicide victims in the military (1980-1992), Military Medicine, 1995.

~Recent estimates suggest that sexual assault in the military is experienced by three percent of female service members, according to a recent survey released by the Department of Defense.-Armed Forces 2002 Sexual Harassment Survey, 2004. An earlier study conducted by the Defense Manpower Center indicated that 6 percent of female respondents and 1 percent of male respondents were victims of actual or attempted rape.-Department of Defense Sexual Harassment Survey, 1995.

~The prevalence of adult sexual assault among female veterans has been estimated as high as 41%. –Prevalence of physical and sexual abuse in women veterans, Military Medicine, 1996; Factors associated with women’s risk of rape in the military, Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2003; and Prevalence of military sexual assault, Interpersonal Violence, 2000.

~Thirty-seven percent of women who reported a rape or attempted rape had been raped more than once; fourteen percent of the victims reported having been gang raped. -Factors associated with women’s risk of rape in the military, Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2003.

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